Automatic air-brake-hose coupling.



S. M. DICK.

AUTOMATIOAIR BRAKE HOSE COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3. IBISv Patented Feb. 25, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

essew f s. M. mc| AUTOMATIC AIR BRAKE HOSE COUPLING.

7 APPLICATION FILED MAY3 I915 1,295,282.'

Patented Feb. 25, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

afmmfii- 742% I By M 6371604044 xiii- 5385. Q\ 560 M SAMOEL M. DICK, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

7 AUTOMATIC AIB-BRAKE-HOSE COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1919.-

Applieation filed May 3, 1915. Serial No. 25,410.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL M. DICK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Air-Brake-Hose Couplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an extremely simple and highly eflicient automatic hose coupling mechanism for railway trains, and to such ends, generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views. Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation with some parts broken away and some parts removed showing my improved hose coupling mechanism applied to and supported from car couplers of the Master Car Builders type:

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail in section taken through one of the hose coupling heads on the line m m on Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line m m on Fig. 1, showing the hose coupling heads separated;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the connected hose coupling heads shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on the line in m on Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a view looking downward at the coupling heads shown in Fig. 4 at an angle of 45 degrees, and showing the said hose coupling heads slightly separated.

The numeral 1 indicates car couplers which, as stated, are shown as of the standard Master Car Builders type. The drawbars of these couplers are connected in the usual way to the car bottom, portions. of which are indicated by the numeral 2. The numeral 3 indicates portions of the customary draft rigging through which the couplers are connected to the car sills. The

numeral l indicates drawbar supporting yokes connected to the ends of the car frames in the usual way and through which the drawbars of the couplers work with freedom for endwise and limited lateral swinging movements. The hose couplers are located under and are supported directly from the car coupler heads or their drawbars, and hence, are arranged to swing laterally therewith, by means of supporting brackets 5 rigidly secured to and depending from the said drawbars. Each of these hose couplers comprises a rectangular head 6 set with its face in a vertical plane, but with its marginal edge set 45 degrees to a vertical. Each head 6 is provided at one side with a flaring angular or L-shaped alining flange 7. The head and flange of the one coupler head are counterparts of the head and flange of the other, and hence, do not need to be made in rights and lefts, but are brought into proper cooperative relation simply by turning the two hose coupling heads face to face When the two coupler heads are face to face, the flange of one projects one side and the flange of the other at the other side of the axis of the hose coupler. For example, as shown in the drawings, the alining flange of the hose coupling head projects on the left hand side thereof, directions being taken in respect to a person standing at the rear of the said coupler head, and hence forward.

Freight trains usually have but one air pipe with flexible hose couplings, whereas, passenger trains usually have three such pipes, to-wit, one for the air brakes, one for the air signaling system, and the other for the steam heating system. The drawings show the hose coupling heads provided with connections for the three pipe systems, and for such purpose, each coupling head is provided with three tubular stems 8 located vertically, one over the other and horizontally extended rearward from the cooperating coupler head. At their rear ends, the said stems are adapted to be con: nected to the respective flexible hose sectionsnot shown, by coupling devices of any suitable or well known construction. The centrally located stem 8 is passed loosely through a bearing sleeve 5 of the cooperatinghanger 5, and the said hanger bracket is provided higher up with a perforation 5 through which the upper stem 8 is passed with freedom for sufficient lateral andyertical oscillation, to permit the required alining movements of the hose coupling heads, when on curved, as well as when on straight tracks. Co1led springs 9 are placed around the centralstems 8 and are separated the springs 9 will throw the same forward as'far as permitted, by stop nuts 10, and pliable cushioning washers 11 applied on the central stem 8.

At their. outer extremities, that is at the outer faces of the hose coupling heads 6, the several tubular stems 8 open against and are alined withaxial perforations of annular diaphragms 12, preferably of rubber. These diaphragms 12, immediately surrounding their axial perforations, are of such thickness that they project slightly be yond. the outer faces of the respective heads 6, but they are provided with reduced marginal flanges that are held by annular clamping rings 18, which, in turn, are held in place by externally threadedclamping rings la that have screw threaded engagement with seats countersunk into the said heads. The said rings 13 and 14 tightly clam thereduced marginal portions to the diaphragms12 against annular bosses 15 formedfon the faces of the head 6; and the said heads immediately inward of. said bosses 15 areprovided With annular chambers 16 that surround the inner extremities oflthe passages that lead from the stems 8. These annular chambers 16 communicate with the axial passages, through radial ports 17.

[Wherithe ho se coupling heads are forced together by coupling of the car couplers 1, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, the thick portions of the diaphragms 12will be tightly pressed together by the very act of coupling; and whenthe air orsteam is turned on, the pressure thereof, acting in the annular chamber 16, against the inner faces of the diaphragms, will increase the pressurebetween the said diaphragms, to the same pressure found upon thewalls of the stems 8, and thereby insuretight joints required to prevent leakage. The springs 9 must, of course, be of sufficient tensiontohold the diaphragms in engagement under the pressure required to maintain thesaid tight oints.

- Obviously, as the several tubular stems 8 are vertically arranged, one over the other, they will always be brought together in the same relative arrangement. For example, if the central tubes 8be used for the air brake system, the lower tubes forthe steam systema gth upp tubesio th s gn together.

ing system, then corresponding tubes on different cars will always be properly coupled With the above described arrangement of the alining flanges of the hose coupling heads, the alining movement is always in one direction, and hence, said hose coupling headsare preferably offset laterally from the axes of the drawbars so that they will usually, or in average conditions, come into initial contactwhen approximatelyin the relative positions shown in .Fig. 3'. For example, if we assume that the alining plates have a bevel or gather of six inches then the said hose coupling headswill be set so that under ordinary conditions, they will come into initial contact when laterally oflset from each other about three inches. This allows for proper alinement of the hose coupling heads when offset from each other under extreme conditions rangingfrom initial alinement to a maximum-of six inche offset.

The said alining flanges will, in thema serve to aline the ports ofv the hose coupling I heads, both by important lateral motion thereto, and by imparting a slight rotation thereto, one in respect to the other, required fortrue alinement of the saidports. The dowel pins also form a secure lock of coupler heads when inaction, preventing anyslippingwhen cars are inmotion.

By providing the hose coupling heads with .aliningflanges on one side only, not only is the construction very greatly simplified, and made strong, but there is no possibility of the alining flanges of the two, hose coupling heads being brought intoengagement witheach other or intoany obstructive conflict whatever. Furthermore, the said 'alinin slates may be given alarge range of gathering action. The. square or approximately rectangular form of the coupler heads 1. The combination with a coupler head coupler, in

set alining surface that is'rectangular in cross section and flares up from the axis thereof, the said coupler head also having a conical dowel pin adapted to engage a seat in a corresponding head and having also an angular portion for engagement with the rectangular flange of a cooperating coupler head.

2. The combination with a car coupler, of an automatic hose coupling head yieldingly supported therefrom, said hose coupling head having an axial port and provided with oblique alining surfaces in angular relation in respect to each other, projecting forward therefrom entirely at one side of the axis of said port, the said hose coupling head being normally supported with its axis offset laterally from the axis of said car a direction opposite to the oblique pro ection of its said alining surfaces, and the said head having a forwardly projecting dowel pin adapted to register with a seat in a companion head, and having a dowel pin seat adapted to be engaged by a illowiel pin of a companion hose coupling 3. The combination with a car coupler, of an automatic hose coupler yieldingly supported therefrom, said hose coupler having a rectangular head with flat face and vertically spaced ports, and provided on one side of the vertical plane of the axes of said ports with a forwardly projecting oblique alining flange that is angular in cross section.

at. The combination with a car coupler, of an automatic hose coupler yieldingly supported therefrom, said hose coupler having a rectangular head with flat face and vertically spaced ports, and'provided on one side of the vertical plane of the axes of said ports with a forwardly projecting oblique alining flange that is angular in cross section, and having further, at one side, a forwardly projecting tapered dowel pin and at the other side a corresponding dowel pin seat. In testimony whereof I aiiix my signaturein presence of two Witnesses.

L M. DICK. Witnesses:

BERNIOE G. WHEELER, HARRY D. KILGORE;

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of, Eatentg, Washington, D. G. 

